In my lesson this past Sunday, I talked about how we all have different understandings of God and different ways of relating to the divine. Therefore, it follows logically that we will also have different ways of praying. For many years now, I have been very interested in the myriad kinds of prayer and meditation that exist and have experimented with a wide variety of them. I have also presented many of them to you in Sunday lessons because what I want is for you to have a

I have so enjoyed spending the last three Sundays sharing with all of you some of the adventures Alexander and I have been having on our summer hikes, as well as the deep spiritual lessons I have received from nature. I think you all know, I could talk endlessly about nature and hiking and all things outdoors. However, we are going to switch gears this week. But before we do that, I have one more adventure to share with you. And I’m sharing it because it was just so beautif

A Unity giant, Rev. Edwene Gaines, has made her transition this week at the age of 87. You may know her from her book, The Four Spiritual Laws of Prosperity: A Simple Guide to Unlimited Abundance. I remember seeing her speak many years ago at the annual Asilomar conference. She was a powerhouse, to be sure, and has had a profound impact on our Unity movement. Here is the announcement from Unity Headquarters (now called “Unity Communities & Leaders,” by the way): We are hear

At the time I am writing this, the Big Sur Timber Fire has grown to almost 4,000 acres and is only 5% contained. CAL FIRE has reported that 503 structures are currently threatened, but thankfully, as of yet, no structures have been reported damaged or destroyed, and no civilian or firefighter injuries or fatalities have been reported. Firefighters are working tirelessly around the clock to try to contain the fire, which is located in some of our coast’s most rugged terrain,

Well, it’s the first week of August in Monterey and you know what that means—we are gearing up for yet another Car Week on the Peninsula, starting this Friday. This once-fun event has become a bit of a bane for those of us living on the Peninsula as the event gets longer and longer (now lasting 10 days!) and more and more visitors come to the area each year. This year more than 100,000 car aficionados are expected to descend on our sleepy little seaside town, meaning there wi

As we close the month of July, wherein we celebrated our nation's 250th Anniversary, I wanted to share an essay I recently read, "America Belongs to All of Us" by former Under Secretary of the Army Patrick J. Murphy, first published in The Philadelphia Citizen (7-1-2026). It helped me to clarify my patriotism during these challenging times; and under-scored the importance of our work with COPA as well. I hope you find some clarity, insights, and/or inspiration as well. "For

After spending the weekend at beautiful Villa Maria del Mar (for the Women's Retreat) and being lulled to sleep by the ocean, I was reminded of this lesson (3/4/24) by Father Richard Rohr, "Making a Morning Connection" (based on a talk he gave in 2009) "On spring and summer mornings, I love to go out early with my little cup of coffee and walk through my garden with my dog Venus . If I can somehow let my 'roots and tendrils' reconnect me with the 'givens' of life, as Bill P

This weekend, many of the women in our commUnity will be attending the 2026 Women's Retreat in Santa Cruz. Our theme this year is The Gifts of Imperfection, based on the book of the same title by Brené Brown. We will be holding our Sunday Service at the retreat - during the same time as the UMB service...trusting that "wherever we are – we know that Love knows no boundaries – We are One in Spirit." I want to thank Robin Falkenberg (who, as noted above, is currently in train

You may have seen in the news a few weeks ago the story of the Southern Baptist Convention and their historic decision to continue to ban the ordination of women as well as all churches allowing women to preach or act as pastors. It’s hard to believe that in the year 2026 we are still dealing with such sexism in the Christian Church in the United States. While Unity is pretty far separated from the Southern Baptists and it may be easy to think this decision doesn’t really a

have been sitting with my multitude of conflicting feelings about our nation, and these times, as we approach the 250th anniversary of our founding. I feel shame for our nation's current behavior in the world; yet I still love the United States of America. I feel sad, angry, disillusioned, and concerned; but I am also hopeful and determined. I'm pretty sure I am not alone in all of this. This morning, I came across this blog post, The Secretary's Sitrep by the Honorable Pat